Touching Base

“Incoming transmission”, the computer announced while Estelle was combing her hair, part of her morning routine, “Jarhei IV, Disa ma-Dhir.” An old friend calling, Estelle couldn’t say no, and she put it on the wall monitor. “Disa! Great of you to call, how are you doing?”

“Oh, good, you haven’t heard”, Disa said and smiled. “Good… morning, I guess?”

“Yes, but I’ve already had my first mug of coffee, I’m coherent enough for you to tell me what I haven’t heard.”

“Well, there was a bit of an incident on Jarhei IV, one that might have killed everyone here if the Florence hadn’t come and delivered a cure”, the Andorian woman said dismissively, referring to the Hope class hospital ship U.S.S. Florence with which Estelle was familiar. “I just thought I’d call you and tell you I’m fine before you hear it through the news and start worrying.”

“That’s very kind of you, thank you”, Estelle smiled. “I didn’t even know you were on Jarhei IV, though. Last you told me, you were working on a freighter for Al-Ka-Line.” A trade route between Aldebaran and Ka’fvui that intersected Ferengi space and was highly contested.

“Heh, no, that didn’t pan out. Hard work keeping the old ship together and oo-mox for the dai’mon? I was sick of that after two runs”, Disa said. “I got a gig here, I dance four nights a week and get three to myself.”

“That sounds like a much better deal, yes”, Estelle smiled. “You know what trade and sex have in common?”

“I remember you down and out for almost two months after that outbreak of bone break fever you caught in eighth grade”, Estelle said. “You called that ‘lucky’.”

“That’s because I wasn’t awake through most of it”, Disa chuckled. “If you don’t have to go through all the pain, it’s not as bad. No, this one took about two weeks. Next client I’ll invite up I’ll do a thorough scan of first, though.”

“That would be best, yes”, Estelle agreed. “Remember those safety notices that read ‘Scan her before you slam her’ which they gave out to redshirts on shoreleave near Orion space?”

“No”, Disa said. “But then, I never paid much attention in history class.”

“Too broke even then”, Estelle teased. Disa wasn’t the most frugal person and often lived slightly beyond her means.

“Funny”, Disa said. “Listen, I have to go, there’s a line of people wanting to use this terminal. It was great talking to you.”